Dragon's Lair Read Online Free PDF Page B

motioned toward his office. “I’m not going to stand out here in the hallway. Make yourself comfortable, then we’ll talk.”
    Comfortable? She doubted if she’d ever be comfortable in his presence again. Still, she accepted his suggestion and stepped into his office.
    Her feet sank into the thick midnight-blue carpet. She tried to ignore her innate urge to investigate the dragon statue and swords adorning the room. How many of the swords were real and how many were excellent replicas?
    Without being too obvious, she slowed her pace as she walked by a dragon statue perched on a pedestal. The column was marble—that much she was certain of. What about the dragon? Glass or gemstone? Sapphire? Blue topaz? Imitation? Real?
    Braeden walked behind the dragon on the way to his desk. “Sapphire. Twelfth century. The amethyst one in Cam’s office is identical, even down to the scratch on the beast’s belly.”
    Heat rushed to her face. “That obvious?”
    He said nothing. But his quick glance at her sent goose bumps racing down her arms. They instinctively tightened, crushing the package. Feeling like a fool, she relaxed her hold and sank into one of the leather armchairs facing the desk.
    While Braeden stared out at the fog, she studied the man she’d once called her husband. He was still everythingshe’d fallen for the moment she’d first laid eyes on him. He was tall enough that she had to tip her head up to look him in the eye. But it wasn’t his chiseled face or full lips that had first captured her attention.
    With his hands in his pockets, his suit jacket hiked up, he gave her a view that made her cheeks flush with warmth. Even now, the sight of his long, muscular legs and tight ass still set her heart fluttering in her chest.
    The well-tailored jacket clung smoothly to his back. She knew full well that there wasn’t any padding in those shoulders.
    Three years wasn’t a long time, but where his muscles had filled out to near perfection, hers had become more rounded and soft.
    It simply wasn’t fair.
    Finally Braeden turned and sat down. He leaned back in his seat, giving her the impression of the Lord of the Castle seated on his throne.
    â€œWhat do you want, Alexia?”
    She cringed before making the mistake of looking more closely at his face. A frown marred his forehead. Dark amethyst eyes stared unwavering back at her. If his tone in the hallway hadn’t warned her that he wasn’t thrilled about seeing her, the coldness of his eyes and the hardness of his square jaw clued her in.
    When had he stopped wearing tinted contacts to hide the color of his eyes? He silently waited for her to tell him why she’d come. Uncertain where to begin, she asked the first thing that came to her mind, “You didn’t tear down Mirabilus, did you?”
    â€œNo. But that’s not why you’re here.”
    â€œI, um…” She fumbled with the package, hating how spineless she suddenly felt. Despite her vivid imaginationof him as a dragon and what he could do to her, she had no reason to physically fear the man across the desk. Lifting her chin, she forced her shoulders back. “Don’t glare at me.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIf you’re trying to intimidate me, it’s working.”
    â€œWe’ve shared a bed and a life together and suddenly you feel intimidated?” He shook his head. “I would think guilt would be a more suitable emotion.”
    â€œGuilt? For what? For losing our baby?” A knife ripped through her chest. She swallowed down the searing pain. “It wasn’t as if I’d planned it. I had help, whether you believe me or not. Or do you mean guilt about leaving your home? I wasn’t welcome there any longer.”
    He leaned forward and opened his mouth. But before he could speak, she barreled ahead. “Why didn’t you come after me? Braeden, you could have contacted me